Community Financial Question: Did the school district save $17 million from the closures of three school buildings?

No, the District did not realize $17 million in actual, recurring savings from closing the three school buildings. 

The $17 million figure reflected the total cost of operating those schools prior to closure, including all staffing and operating expenses. However, when a school closes, those costs do not simply disappear. Students are reassigned to other buildings, and most instructional staff move with them. As a result, a large portion of those costs remains in the system. 

Using 2024–2025 budget data, the District completed a detailed analysis to estimate what costs could realistically be reduced. This analysis shows that approximately $6.8 million in annual savings is a reasonable and supportable estimate, not $17 million. 

These savings come from three primary areas: 

• Building operations (such as utilities, custodial, and maintenance services) were reduced, though some ongoing costs remain for security, insurance, and upkeep. This results in approximately $295,000 in savings. 
• Building-specific personnel (such as administrators and clerical staff assigned directly to those buildings) represent costs that are largely eliminated when a building closes. This results in approximately $3.9 million in savings. 
• Enrollment-based personnel (such as teachers and instructional staff) are largely retained because students still need to be educated. Some limited efficiencies are achieved through scheduling and attrition, resulting in approximately $2.6 million in savings. 

Together, these categories total an estimated $6.8 million in recurring annual savings, which reflects how school systems actually operate and avoids overstating financial impact. The $6.8 million offsets the $5.7 million deficit in 2024-2025, when the District had recorded actual expenditures of $276,981,222 against an adopted budget of $271,266,317. 

There has also been no open discussion about whether additional savings would materialize over a three-year period or through the potential sale or lease of the closed buildings. While some incremental efficiencies may occur over time, the majority of achievable savings are already reflected in the current estimate and are not expected to approach $17 million.  

The District also recognizes there has been confusion in the community regarding how the original $17 million estimate was communicated. That estimate was developed under prior leadership, and members of the current administration were not part of that process. 

That said, the current administration accepts responsibility for providing accurate, transparent, and data-driven information. We understand that differences between earlier projections and current findings may have contributed to frustration or confusion. Our approach is to rely on verifiable budget data, apply realistic assumptions, and clearly distinguish between total costs and actual savings. 

In summary: 

• The District did not save $17 million 

• That figure reflected total prior costs, not actual savings 

• Realistic annual savings are approximately $6.8 million 

• Most costs remain because students and staff continue in other schools 

• The current administration is committed to clear, honest financial reporting